Coliseum: Those Left Behind
by Xanderlike
Summary: Before he was their commanding officer, he was their friend. While Captain Simon McCoy fights to survive Hakeev's Coliseum, the class of 2409 will leave no stone unturned in their quest to reunite with their captain.
1. Chapter 1

Logic indicates that the Captain is dead.

We have spent nearly 24 Terran hours in the Napoda System trying to find some sign of Captain McCoy. We have returned to the satellite. We have boarded the derelict ships. We have scanned Napoda Prime. We have diverted all available power to long range sensors and we have found no signs that there is any other active ship within light years of the _Maximus_. Zarva has broken down our transporters to the component level to search for signs of any flaw, any defect, that might explain the Captain's disappearance.

We have found nothing.

Admiral Quinn could spare no other ships to aid in our search, but he gave Commander Flores this time to try to find the Captain. In less perilous times, more consideration would be given to discovering the fate of a man with the Captain's reputation, but the very survival of the Federation is in doubt now. My calculations indicate it is highly improbable that he will extend the deadline.

Captain McCoy is gone.

 _Kaiidth_. What is, is.

I have done what I can to find the Captain. Now I must do what the Captain would want me to do. I must make sure that Commander Flores does not throw away her career trying to save a dead man.

It will not be easy.

Commander Flores has many admirable qualities, but she is human. She is highly loyal- a trait that- while laudable under normal circumstances- nearly caused her expulsion from Starfleet Academy. She is emotional, stubborn. She will not give up.

And Captain McCoy is her _t'hy'la._

She prowls the bridge like an angry mother _le-matya_ that is looking for a lost cub. Newer bridge officers- those who did not know her in her Academy days- have never seen her so angry, so reckless. She looks over their shoulders, muttering curses in her native Spanish at what she sees.

She has not slept since the Captain disappeared.

(Neither have I, but I am a Vulcan.)

I will have to speak. "Commander Flores, may I speak to you in private?"

She looks at me with a wild flare of hope in her eyes. "You've found something, T'Vrell?"

"No. But it is imperative that I speak with you in private."

"My place is on the bridge."

"Commander, I must insist."

She looks at me, anger starting to kindle in her eyes. "T'Vrell-"

I lower my voice to make sure that no one else will hear me. Fortunately, I am the only Vulcan on the bridge this watch. "Elisa, do not make me call Dr. Morek."

"The Captain's ready room. You've got five minutes." She does not look at me until we're in the ready room and the door is closed. "What?"

"Our time is nearly up."

"I'm not through here, T'Vrell. I won't leave until we find Simon."

 _Simon._ I have not heard her use the Captain's first name since she became his first officer. She has been a textbook perfect First Officer with no sign that they had ever had anything but a professional relationship.

"Elisa, you cannot disobey a direct order from Admiral Quinn."

"Watch me."

I had been afraid of this. "Elisa, that would be mutiny. Your career in Starfleet will be over. You will never hold command rank again."

"I don't care. I'm not leaving without Simon!" She is not crying, but she is not far from it. "He wouldn't leave you or me- hell, he wouldn't leave an ensign who had walked on board five minutes ago without finding out what happened to them!"

"I know." And I do. I had known the Captain- _Simon-_ nearly as long as Elisa had. He was my friend. My first human friend. My first friend at the Academy.

Without his encouragement, I never would have retaken my linguistics exams.

"Do you believe he's dead?"

"Logic-"

"Don't talk to me about logic, T'Vrell. Don't talk to me about probabilities. Tell me- after all we've seen- all we've been through- do you really think we could lose Simon in some freak transporter accident that leaves no trace that Zarva can find? Just like that?" She snaps her fingers. "Do you _believe_ Simon is dead?"

I know the answer that I should give. The one that might finally convince Commander Flores to accept the reality of the situation. The one that Captain McCoy would want me to give.

But I am a Vulcan and I cannot lie in this.

"No. I do not."

Elisa closes her eyes and her shoulders slump in relief. "Thank God."

"But Admiral Quinn will not allow us to remain here indefinitely, Elisa. We have no facts to support our belief that Captain McCoy is alive. He will order the _Maximus_ to move on."

"I'll refuse."

"Then he will remove you from command. If I am placed in command, I will refuse as well. Commander Kolez may also refuse, but at some point Admiral Quinn will reach someone in the command chain who will follow his orders. We cannot help Captain McCoy by sacrificing our careers."

"Are you saying we should just _abandon_ him?"

I do not like the way I _feel_ when she says that, but I am a Vulcan and I control my emotions. They do not control me. "The Captain is very resourceful. If necessary, he will survive until we are able to aid him- directly or indirectly."

Commander Flores scowls at me. Her fists are balled up. For a moment, I believe she may actually attempt to physically assault me.

I prepare myself.

We are friends. We have been friends for years. Captain McCoy brought us together in friendship- will he also be what finally separates us?

"Bridge to Commander T'Vrell, we have something."

Commander Flores sighs. "God, I'm sorry, T'Vrell. Forgive me."

"The cause is sufficient." I nod and then tap my badge. "Bridge, this is Commander T'Vrell. Go ahead."

"We're getting some kind of distress signal. It sounds Romulan, but there's something funny about it."

"The Romulans are not renowned for their sense of humor, Ensign-"

"That's not what I mean, Commander. I'll pipe it into the Ready Room for you."

I exchange glances with Commander Flores as we listen to the signal.

"It's definitely Romulan," Commander Flores observes.

"Affirmative." But there was something more.

I listen to the signal twice to make certain of what I am hearing.

Commander Flores looks at me. "Is that …?"

I nod. "I told you the Captain was resourceful." I tap the console on the Captain's desk and increase the audio. "He manually adjusted the signal." I tap the desk in tune with the broadcast. "Shave and a haircut ..."

"Two bits." Commander Flores grins at me. "Dear God, he drove me crazy when he'd do that in the Academy!" She taps her combadge. "Flores to bridge. We've found the Captain. Repeat, we've found the Captain." She grins savagely. "And we're going to get him!"

Captain McCoy is alive. He found a way to signal us. He has done his part.

Now it's time for the _Maximus_ to bring him home.


	2. Chapter 2

Being an engineer on a starship- being the _Chief Engineer_ on a starship is my dream come true … most of the time.

The rest of the time it's a nightmare.

Being Chief Engineer means that I have to sign off on the work of more than a dozen other engineers. I have to trust that they know what they are doing- I have to make _sure_ they know what they are doing because a ship can live or die depending on whether or not her engineering crew knows what they are doing. The life of every sentient being on this ship is ultimately as much my responsibility as it is that of the Chief Medical Officer or Captain. A careless error- an honest mistake- and we could all die.

It's something I've learned to live with.

Most of the time.

But times like this- times when we've lost someone- when we've lost our _Captain-_ I can't.

Captain McCoy was more than my commanding officer. He was a classmate at the Academy. He was a friend.

And now he's gone.

He could easily have selected a Chief Engineer with more experience when he was given command of the _Maximus._ I wouldn't have blamed him. Even with the heavy losses we've suffered in Starfleet, there were plenty of capable of engineers he could have selected who had higher qualifications than mine.

But he hadn't.

He had faith in _me._

"I know you, Zarva," he said. "You're good at what you do- one of the best engineers I've ever seen. You kept this ship running with little more than sweat and determination after the Klingon attack. There's no one I'd trust more to be Chief Engineer."

That was one of the things about Captain Simon McCoy. He had a way of believing in you so strongly that you couldn't help but believe in yourself. He was a good man.

And I'd done my best to live up to his faith in me. More times than I can count, the _Maximus_ was outgunned and out-manned … on the razor's edge between destruction and survival … and we found a way to win the day.

But not this time.

Not this time.

I should have found a way to free the _Maximus_ from that damn tractor beam. If I had done that, the Captain wouldn't have gone over to that damn death trap. If I had done my job, he would not have to have gone over there …

I should have insisted on going on the Away Team. It was an engineering problem. I should have insisted on _leading_ the team. If I had done that …

If I had done that the Captain would still be alive.

Elisa Flores doesn't believe Captain McCoy is dead. She won't believe he's dead until she finds a body. The look in her eyes …

I'm failing her too.

I've torn the transporters down to their circuits. I've checked and rechecked the Heisenberg Compensators. Nothing.

T'Vrell and I have configured and reconfigured the long range sensors trying to find out where the Captain beamed to- or if he beamed anywhere at all. We found nothing.

Something- someone- took Captain McCoy away from us, and we can't figure out how or why. We don't know if he's dead or alive.

And the clock is ticking.

Do I believe Captain McCoy is dead? I don't know.

I've found nothing wrong with our transporters. Even if his atoms had been dispersed on the widest possible setting our sensors should have picked up _something!_ There are so many things that could have gone wrong- so many things we have no way to account for. He could have been snatched by a member of the Q or the Organians or some other godlike race we know nothing about. He could have been involved in a temporal accident or a chronological abduction.

We need answers. _Elisa needs answers. I_ need answers.

I need to know if I killed my captain. I need to know If I'm responsible for the death of a friend.

And it kills me that I can't find the answer.

"Flores to Engineering."

I tap my com. "Zarva here. Commander, I regret to report that I haven't found anything yet-"

"That's all right, Zarva." It's then I recognize that the desperation is gone from her voice. She sounds almost giddy. "Simon- that is, Captain McCoy- found a way to contact us. T'Vrell and I are on our way to Engineering to discuss it with you."

The Captain is alive. I didn't kill him. I almost weep with relief.

And then I have a sudden desire to punch him for making me- making us all- worry about him like this.

"How the hell did we miss him?" Elisa asks as we go over the data. "He's been on the planet the entire time?!"

"It is possible the Romulans adapted some variant of their cloaking technology to disguise their base," T'Vrell suggests. "In fact, that is the most probable hypothesis."

"Wonderful." I sigh. "Okay. The beacon will help, but we're going to have to be practically on top of him to beam him through that shielding. I can take a shuttle..."

"The Captain's abductors would see you coming long before you got to him," T'Vrell points out with that annoying Vulcan practicality.

"No. Not a shuttle." Elisa Flores straights up and looks at both T'Vrell and me. "We're taking the _Maximus._ "

"The _Maximus_ was not designed to enter a planetary gravity well," T'Vrell declares flatly. "Even for a short time."

"She can take it," Elisa says as she glances over at me. "Can't she, Zarva?"

" _Now_ she asks me," I grumble. "We can divert power to increase the structural integrity field and skim through the atmosphere. That should get us close enough, but I have to warn you that it'll be bumpy ride."

"But you can do it?" T'Vrell asks insistently. She plainly thinks it's an insane plan.

To be fair, it _is_ an insane plan, but that's never stopped us before.

"Of course I can," I declare with more confidence than I actually feel. "If the Captain can't come to the _Maximus_ … the _Maximus_ will go to the Captain!"


	3. Chapter 3

I can't remember a time when I didn't want to be a starship captain.

Now … now I'm sitting in the captain's chair of the _Maximus_ and all I'm thinking about is how badly I want the _real_ captain of this ship back.

"Bridge to Engineering, are you ready, Zarva?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, Commander Flores."

"T'Vrell?"

"Structural integrity field is at maximum strength."

"Kolez?"

"Course laid in, Commander. We'll dip through the atmosphere in an arc to pick up the Captain and then make our way back into space. The course will give us the shortest possible time in Napoda's atmosphere."

"All right. Let's make this work, people. The Captain is counting on us."

The Captain is counting on _me._

I know I've pretty much shredded my professional reputation the last 24 hours. Probably half the crew thinks the Captain and I are lovers given how I've acted. I can't say I blame them.

But it's a lot more … _complicated_... than that.

It always has been.

Simon McCoy is my friend. Probably the best friend I've ever had. I can admit that without discomfort. From the moment we met, we just _clicked_. We had nothing in common beyond our species- he was studying science and had only taken the minimum required command courses that Starfleet requires of every Academy student- I was tactical and had started the command track even before I was admitted to the Academy. We had different tastes in music, food … almost everything.

But we were totally comfortable with each other almost at once. He was possibly the first person I'd met in years that I didn't feel like I was in competition with. He wasn't trying to outdo me. He wasn't trying to romance me. He just wanted to _know_ me.

And I found myself wanting to know him too.

When you're as driven as I was- as I am now?- having someone in your life you feel safe enough to let your hair down with is a treasure.

I remember thinking that when I got my own command I intended to have Simon serve as my first officer.

Funny how things turned out.

And yet …

Single or in a relationship, _Simon_ was the first person I'd tell about my triumphs and the first person I'd go to when I needed comfort. _Simon_ was the one I went to when it looked like the "blots on my record" were going to cost me my career. _Simon_ was the only person I introduced to my family …

I thought of him as my best friend, but I couldn't help but notice when other people would flirt with him. (Most of the time, Simon didn't notice at all.) Even T'Vrell seems inclined to stand closer to him than anyone else …

And there's always this uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach when we encounter Commander Jarok of the Romulan Republic and they engage in that friendly banter that reminds me of our Academy days …

I do my best not to think about those feelings. Simon is my commanding officer now. There are regulations … rules …

The only way we could be something other than friends would be if we were no longer on the same ship.

And I won't … I _can't …_ leave his side.

And yet … the worst thing about his absence- other than being terrified he was dead or wounded and I wasn't there to keep him safe- was the realization that I had been so determined to prove that I had earned my position as his first officer that I had become distant to the person who needed my support more than anyone else.

And that if Simon died I would never have the opportunity to correct that error.

But Simon _isn't_ dead. He's found a way to tell us where he is. We found a way to get to him.

"Mr. Kolez, take us in."

The _Maximus_ is not happy with us. She's not designed to enter an atmosphere or the gravity well of a planet. She's shaking like a bridegroom at a shotgun wedding …

"T'Vrell!"

"Structural integrity field is holding, Commander. It may not be comfortable, but the ship is functioning at an adequate level."

"Zarva!"

"Busy!" she shouted back at me.

"Commander!" Kolez barked. "Scorpion fighters!"

"With power diverted to the structural integrity field our shields may not hold up in combat against a full wing of Scorpion fighters," T'Vrell warned.

"Kolez! Photon torpedoes maximum spread!" I have no time to be gentle. "T'Vrell! How close are we to Simon's location?"

"We will be in transporter range in approximately two minutes."

"Zarva!"

"On my way."

If anyone can beam Simon aboard safely, it's Zarva.

"Commander Flores! Photon torpedoes have taken out three of the Scorpions. Three remain and are locking onto us."

"Tractor beam repulsors!" It's not that I had qualms about blowing them up to hell and back, I just didn't have time right now. "And increase speed. T'Vrell?"

"Still one minute to transporter range … Commander! I am detecting transporter activity at the Captain's location!" She looks over at me. "Romulan transporter activity!"

"Keep them talking, Simon," I mutter.

"Another Scorpion destroyed, the others are breaking attack formation," Kolez reported with obvious relief. "We're at maximum safe atmospheric speed, Commander. Any faster and we'll start to shake apart."

"T'Vrell?"

"We are within a safe distance for transport. I am detecting weapons charging at the Captain's location." Even T'Vrell's voice seems devoid of its customary calm.

"Zarva!" I spit out her name like a prayer … or curse. I'm not sure which.

"I've got him, Commander. The Captain is aboard- and safe."

"Kolez! Get us off this planet and back into space! We'll go to warp as soon as we're at the minimum distance from the planet."

"Acknowledged, Commander."

"Captain McCoy? Simon?" I want to scream his name, but it comes out as barely a whisper.

"Zarva here, Commander. The Captain appears to have fainted."

"Transport him to sick bay! Dr. Morek-"

"I've been monitoring the coms, Commander. I'm ready." The Benzite's voice has never sounded so good to me. "Don't worry about the Captain."

"T'Vrell, you have permission to leave the bridge." Simon will want a friendly face by him when he wakes up.

"With all due respect, Commander, I suggest that you be the one who welcomes the Captain." T'Vrell nods her head slightly. "I am quite capable of assuming temporary command of the _Maximus_ in your absence _."_ Her voice drops to a whisper. "He needs you, Elisa. Go."

Until the Captain is able to take back command, the _Maximus_ is my responsibility. I should refuse but … I _can't._

"Thank you, T'Vrell," I whisper back. "Commander T'Vrell is in command of the _Maximus_ until she is relieved by Captain McCoy or myself. I'll be in sickbay if you need me, Commander T'Vrell."

I force myself to walk- not run- to the turbolift. Once the doors shut, I slump against the wall. I suddenly feel exhausted.

In spite of the odds against us, the _Maximus_ had done it. We got our Captain back. I had my friend back.

And all is as it should be...


	4. Chapter 4

Elisa Flores shows up just after I've gotten Simon- excuse me, _Captain McCoy_ \- cleaned up and placed in a biobed. "Efficient" is just another way of saying "Benzite" after all. He's still unconscious, but now it's because I administered medication to keep him that way. It's the most effective way of keeping him comfortable while he's being treated.

I'm pleased that I guessed correctly that it would be Elisa who showed up. There was a strong possibility that Elisa would send T'Vrell instead, but I counted on the Vulcan to convince Commander Flores instead. While I am not a Counselor, a good doctor must be aware of the mental as well as the physical state of his patients- and everyone aboard the _Maximus_ is under my care, after all.

"How is he?"

"Hello, Commander. It's good to see you too. The Captain is fine and will make a full recovery from his ordeal."

Some of the tension leaks out of her at my assurances … as I knew it would. She walks over to his side and stares at the biobed reader. She's not had more than the rudimentary medical training required of all Starfleet officers- but she's able to see for herself that the Captain is in no immediate danger. She touches his cheek with an intimacy that I'm sure she would not display under other circumstances. "Acid burns."

"It will respond well to treatment and by this time tomorrow there will be no scars." I pause. Patient privacy must be balanced against Elisa's need to know as the current senior officer. "There are also some animal bites. Other than that, he's suffering from dehydration, hunger, and sunburn. Nothing life threatening at all."

"Why isn't he awake?"

"He will wake up shortly." I grab a chair and place it at his bedside. "You can wait till he recovers. And I'll bring you some soup."

"I'm not hungry-"

"Commander, I don't need my tricorder to tell you haven't eaten or slept since the Captain disappeared. Stubbornness does not make you invincible- you have plenty of time to eat a meal and rest yourself while the Captain is sleeping."

She looks inclined to fight- Elisa Flores has never been good at taking orders from anyone- but she finally sighs. "Yes, Doctor."

Smiling is not something my people are biologically constructed to do easily, so I settle for nodding. Dealing with the command crew of any starship is a challenge for a dedicated physician. Dr. Leonard McCoy (no relation to our Captain) wrote a text about it that became required reading at Starfleet Academy.

Xenomedicine is not a popular career option among my people. Even in the 25th Century, very few of us join Starfleet. I was already an established physician when I made the decision to serve.

It was not a difficult decision.

The Federation is facing many threats. The Borg. The Undine. The current issues with the Klingons and the possible threat posed by the remains of the Romulan Empire to name just a few.

Starfleet needs sentients to crew the ships that keeps the Federation safe. And it needs medical officers to treat them. With the diversity of Starfleet, every physician needs an advanced understanding of xenobiology.

I possessed that knowledge. I was not bonded and had no responsibilities to my geostructure that could not be replaced by others. The most efficient use of my time required me to join Starfleet.

T

So I did.

I will not say that Starfleet Academy did not present unexpected challenges, but I am a Benzite so of course I was equal to them.

And it was not without its compensations.

I had studied xenobiology on my home world, but now I was living among them. I was interacting with them not just as doctor to patient, but also peer to peer. I have already published several papers that have been well received by my geostructure.

In a way, the _Maximus_ has become a geostructure in of itself. We are a society. Many of our patrols take us far away from the heart of Federation space where we might not encounter another Starfleet vessel for weeks at a time. We depend on each other not just to carry out our assigned tasks, but for our very survival.

And there is no place I would rather be.

The Captain is at heart of our geostructure. His absence was keenly felt by the entire crew though of course though who work with him on a daily basis were most affected. I fully expect to write another paper on this.

It is also my duty as Chief Medical Officer to monitor the health of the Captain and First Officer. It is those responsibilities that require me to listen to their conversation when the Captain finally awakens. I might be needed after all.

(And the insights I gain will no doubt make me a more effective physician in treating the emotional needs of my human patients.)

It takes the Captain approximately two hours to awaken. I would have expected the standard human to have slept for three, but Elisa Flores is not the only stubborn human on the _Maximus._ The Captain will never relax completely unless he knows the condition of his ship and crew.

In fact, the first words out of his mouth when he opens his eyes are, "The ship?"

"Safe. We've out of that system and in sector space. We're on our way to make contact with Obisek. I made contact with Admiral Quinn and told him we found you."

"Good."

He's quiet enough that I'm beginning to think he's fallen asleep again when he says, "You look tired, Commander."

"Elisa. Neither one of us are on duty right now."

He half rises. "Who's in charge of my ship?"

"T'Vrell. Relax."

I cannot see either of them at this moment- I am in my office to give them privacy- but the biobed's sensors are still monitoring Simon's condition. This could be invaluable data. Right now, I believe that he's experiencing a physical reaction to Elisa's touch. Interesting. Very interesting.

"She's a good officer. She'll make a fine captain someday."

"I don't think she wants to command."

"Shame." Simon is still sounding drowsy. It's a tribute to his constitution that he's able to fight the medication off this much. "I recommended to Quinn that you be made Captain of the _Maximus_ if-"

"Don't say it. Please."

"You're a good commanding officer, Elisa. You should have been given your own ship a long time ago."

"I don't want to command right now."

"Why not? You were talking about having your own ship the first time I met you."

"You know why." Her voice is quite and soft. I wouldn't have heard it all if not for the sensors on the biobed.

"Elisa-"

Again that reaction.

"I'm right where I need to be, Simon. Where I _want_ to be. On the _Maximus._ " This time even the sensors can barely make out her next words. "With you."

Another reaction. The strongest yet. I risk a look out the window of my office to see what they are doing.

Ah, kissing.

I hastily sit down again and make notations of the data.

"What was that for?" Simon asks.

"For being alive. Surviving. I'm grateful you came back to us."

"Me too."

Then I hear an audible slap.

"Hey! What was _that_ for?"

"For making me worry."

"It wasn't like I had a choice."

"Don't think that gets you off the hook, Captain McCoy."

"You know assaulting a commanding officer is not a good thing, right?"

"We're off duty. But you can make a report to the First Officer if you like."

"Don't think I won't."

"I'm not worried. I'm on good terms with the Captain."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Now move over."

"What?"

"You're not the only one who's tired. Scoot."

The biobed isn't designed to record the vitals of more than one person at a time, so the sensors start to protest until I shut them off.

"You know," Simon says with a sigh, "This is good."

"This is perfect. Now shut up and let me sleep."

"Okay."

"Simon?"

"Yes?"

"Welcome home."

"Thanks, Elisa. It's good to be back."

I give them five minutes, and then I look out my window again.

Sound asleep. Both of them. Good.

The _Maximus_ is whole again.

Now I can get to work on that paper …


End file.
